Wouldn’t it be nice if our well-laid plans were always perfectly executed, all of the details falling into place with ease, exactly as we imagined they would? What if “Plan A” always worked out? Although I’m sure that sounds appealing, this is rarely the case. In most situations, the pursuit of our goals usually involves some degree of challenge. You may find yourself rethinking or revising your original plan for achievement, in many cases multiple times.
There are no “easy paths” when it comes to significant and lasting success. Regardless of the content of your dreams, (building businesses, strengthening marriages…you name it) they all require work! In fact, the greatest achievements of our lives are often intimately intertwined with some of our greatest challenges.
Think about a time that you set an important goal for yourself. Maybe a dream you chose to pursue. Perhaps you began a journey towards weight loss and healthy living, or maybe you paired your entrepreneurial spirit with a business idea, fueled by your passion and purpose.
When you first began working towards that goal, I’d guess you were driven by excitement and motivation, imagining your success and the steps that would carry you there. You probably didn’t give a significant amount of thought to the potential challenges and obstacles that could stand between you and your goals. That’s normal. When we begin working towards a particular goal, we tend to dwell on possibilities rather than pitfalls. This motivated optimism is important in the beginning because it gives us the strength to take the leap and begin the process towards achievement.
But success requires more of us.
Despite what may be an uncomplicated beginning, the process of reaching our goals rarely remains straightforward and easy. At some point in the journey, we encounter challenges and obstacles that test our motivation and question our dedication to our goals. If a goal is truly meaningful, at some point it will ask that we face the possibility of failure and decide whether or not we will continue pushing forward.
This is a critical moment in the activation process.
Although challenges and obstacles, in and of themselves, are not bad, they often feel stressful and overwhelming. It’s easy to view any source of pushback in a negative light, as though someone or something is against us. Perhaps you can relate to this sentiment?
I’d like to challenge us to reshape the way we view the challenges we face in our lives. It’s time to change the way we view times of trial, and more importantly, we must rework the way that we respond to challenges!
We typically have little to no control over the obstacles that come our way, but we have complete control over our response to each challenge. Instead of viewing each obstacle as a burden or insurmountable wall that we can’t possibly get over, let’s choose to embrace each challenge as an opportunity for growth!
In her article, “Learning To See Challenges As Opportunities”, Wendy Betterini identifies roadblocks and obstacles as “opportunities to grow and learn, to strengthen ourselves, to test ourselves and our faith.” Challenges don’t have to be a death sentence for our dreams, in fact, obstacles can actually be a pathway that molds us into stronger individuals.
These are moments to clarify and refine our goals.
Think back: Did your parents or grandparents ever lovingly remind you of the age-old adage, “nothing good comes easily?” Perhaps at times, you have found this a frustrating and annoying phrase, but I argue that it contains an element of truth. Some of our greatest life lessons and virtues are born from moments of trial.
Consider this, if you were never put in a situation that made you want to give up, how would you learn the virtue of perseverance? If your dreams were never questioned or challenged by other people, you may never discover your deepest passion or true motivation. If your “Plan A” and first ideas always worked out perfectly, you may never discover the true value that comes from reflection and revision. Sometimes “Plan B” is actually better than “Plan A”.
Next time you find yourself being challenged by another person, situation, or circumstance, instead of slipping into frustration and despair, I encourage you to take some time for reflection. Consider that this obstacle doesn’t have to be the burden it may appear to be at first glance, but could, in fact, be a true blessing!
Reflection Questions When Facing Obstacles:
- What is the “why” behind my goal? Why did I choose to pursue this dream in the first place?
- Is this a moment that calls for steadfast perseverance or an opportunity to reflect and make changes to my original plan?
- What can I learn from this challenge/obstacle?
Wherever you are at in the activation process, whether you are goal setting and dreaming of possibilities or you’ve been working for a while and may be experiencing the tension that comes in times of trial, allow me to accompany you on this journey!
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Resources:
https://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/how-to-change-your-mindset-to-see-problems-as-opportunities.html
